The Myth Behind the Constellation Musca

Musca, “The Fly”, is a late sixteenth-century creation of Dutch navigators Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser and Frederick de Houtman. The two created 12 constellations during expeditions under the southern skies. Musca has had several names along the way, including Apis (The Bee), Musca Apis (The Fly Bee) and Musca Australis (The Southern Fly).